Cellulose ethers have been employed as additives to food compositions and processes to provide physical properties such as thickening, freeze/thaw stability, lubricity, moisture retention and release, film formation, texture, consistency, shape retention, emulsification, binding, suspension, and gelation.
A physical property important in some food compositions is gel strength or elastic modulus. This property relates to the strength with which a cellulose ether binds or holds food particles together. Efforts to significantly increase gel strength for conventional cellulose ethers beyond levels observed for given viscosity grades have been largely unsuccessful.
Having a cellulose ether which exhibits enhanced gel strength for given viscosity grades would enable food compositions with superior binding, consistency, and shape retention to be developed. Also, viscosity contribution and cellulose ether concentrations could be reduced in food compositions while maintaining desired gel functionality.
It would be desirable to have a cellulose ether which exhibits elevated gel strength for a given molecular weight or viscosity grade. It would also be desirable to have a process for making the cellulose ether.